PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — WPTV's Shannon Cake served as master of ceremonies for the 15th annual First Responders Appreciation Foundation's LEO Awards.
A ceremony was held Thursday at PGA National Resort to recognize the men and women of law enforcement throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
Here is a complete list of categories and nominees for the 2023 LEO Awards, along with the honorees (italicized) in each category.
Community Policing
- Boynton Beach Police Department (Officers Amanda Corum, Janelle Jumelles and Jose Mendez)
- Florida Atlantic University Police Department (Sgt. Chelsea John-Williams)
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Sgt. Cliff Labbe)
- Lantana Police Department (Officer Paula Diaz)
- Riviera Beach Police Department (Officer Jennifer Jones)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Officer Angel Vargas)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Lifetime Achievement
- North Palm Beach Police Department (Chief Richard Jenkins)
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Senior Staff Assistant Allison Klotzer)
- Port St Lucie Police Department (Chief John Bulduc)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Detective or Investigator of the Year
- Boca Raton Police Services Department (Detective Daniel Melgar)
- Boynton Beach Police Department (Detective Nicole Sala)
- Delray Beach Police Department (Detective Howard Lunsford)
- Florida Highway Patrol (Investigator Tyler Sheinberg)
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Detective Brandon Dean)
- Jupiter Police Department (Agent Nathan Baird)
- Martin County Sheriff's Office (Detective Drew Patterson)
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Detectives Frank Briganti, Brittany Christoffel, Jeremy Gelfand, Joseph Piatchek, Emily Vander-Laan, Investigator Keith White and Detective Eric Zadanosky)
- Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (Agent Daniel Abraira)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Detective David Dionisio)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Detectives Fernando Palacios and Christian Tomas)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Emergency Communications Operator of the Year
- Boynton Beach Police Department (Communications Supervisor Ali Jackson)
- Florida Atlantic University Police Department (Dispatcher Amber Raffa)
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Dispatcher Cheryl Walkowiak)
- Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (Dispatchers Christie Bankes and Janna Faulhaber)
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Supervisor or Manager of the Year
- Jupiter Police Department (Sgt. Jason Alexandre)
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Sgt. Bert Gaudreau and Section Manager Roderick White)
- Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (Sgt. Karl Cooper)
- Port St. Lucie Police Department (Cmdr. March DiMeo and Sgt. Aaron Martin)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Sgt. Deron Brown and Sgt. Anta'Juan Pinkney)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Sgt. James Louis, Sgt. Christopher Nagel, Sgt. Deanna Rideau and Sgt. Thomas Walsh)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Task Force or Unit of the Year
- Boca Raton Police Services Department (Ryan Alvino and Thomas Tyson)
- Delray Beach Police Department (Anthony Masi)
- Jupiter Police Department (Brandon Lopez)
- Martin County Sheriff's Office (Matthew Cadell, Kevin Duffy and Dominic Ferrusi)
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Office Manager Marie Moody, Intoxilyzer Technicians Joshua Bell, Thomas Leahey, Shari O’Neal, Paris Pound and Ranee Ragin; Deputies Phillip Crowley, Shawn Delhomme, Reynaldo Soriana, Billy Vandermeeren-Sanchez, Carlos Bucheli, Nick Camene, Jerry Deneen, Dan Frend, Sean Myers, Mike O'Connor, Chris O'Leary, Joey Pollock, Dave Rutherford, Nate Smith, Julio Acosta, Chris Armanini, Joseph Blackman, Harrison Budish, Taylor Demario, Chris Francis, Joey Frommer, Ernie George, Richard Gilmore, Robert Hentze, Michael Joiner, Joshua Josef, Luciano Labate, Austin Laufer, George Mastics, Paul Sanchez and Caley Wensyel; Pilots Ron Bloeser, Tom Breneman, Mike Dever, Megan Foster, Ken Kaczor, Dana Mac Leod, Don Myerscough, Mark Reid, Ronald Scalise, Mike Smith, Andrew Tucker and Rober Wise; Tactical Flight Officers Chris Cameron, Vasile Ciuperger and Todd Ramagnoli; Cpl. Chris Miller; Sgt. Kevin Marks, Sgt. Scott Yoder, Sgt. Ted Elliot, Sgt. David Farrugia, Sgt. Mike Musto, Sgt. Andrew Nicoletti, Sgt. Mike Strong, Sgt. Victorio Fazzino, Sgt. Butch Altonen, Sgt. Mark Lanier and Sgt. John Whalen; Lt. Ryan Mugridge, Lt. Sean Bozdech and Lt. Jason Johnson; and Capt. Thomas Euell)
- Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (Edgar Bartista)
- Port St. Lucie Police Department (Officers Juliano Faleiros, Kevin Fry, Martin Ghobrial, Brittany Holly, Anthony Lovechio and Sgt. Matt Reynolds)
- Riviera Beach Police Department (Officers James Aldolph, Orlando Douglas, Alexander Hardrick, Javares Harvey, Tiara Hawkins, Brelan Ivory and Corey Tate; Agents Francisco Aquirre, Tyler Cox, Jemel Headings, Richard Rott and Brandon Russo; Sgt. Peter Modica, Sgt. Nir Mordechay and Sgt. Melvin Menard)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Ishmael Flores, Joshua Kronzek, Detectives Sam Aaron, Andrea Branch, Paula Creelman, Darrin MacCarthy, Ronald Robbins and Regina Wood; Sgt. Dennis Hardiman; and Lt. William Devitto)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Corrections Deputy of the Year
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Julio Rivera)
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Cpl. Eric Peters)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Deputy David Burnette)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
K-9 Achievement
- Boynton Beach Police Department (Officer Patrick Roedel)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Sgt. Benjamin DeBlieck)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Officer or Deputy of the Year
- Boynton Beach Police Department (Officers Jose Cardenas and Cynthia Rivera)
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Officer Elisha Cernuto)
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Bobby Gage)
- Jupiter Police Department (Officer Ian Fries)
- Lantana Police Department (Officer Cecil Tipton)
- North Palm Beach Police Department (Officer Jhamil Milord)
- Ocean Ridge Police Department (Officer Keith Ramirez)
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Adam Pozsonyl)
- Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (Officer Juan Romero)
- Port St. Lucie Police Department (Master Officer Thomas Nichols)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Patrick Seidel)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Officer Hayley Nine)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Life-Saving
- Florida Atlantic University Police Department (Officer Shirez Belfon Cave, Community Service Officer Justin Gadson, Kaitlyn La Croix and Officer Danielle Luciano)
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Deputies Blake Giordano and Tony Le)
- Jupiter Police Department (Capt. Michael Salvemini and Officer Shanna Shaff)
- Lantana Police Department (Officer Elizabeth Waldkoetter)
- Martin County Sheriff's Office (Deputies Daniel Hill and Morgan Sprott)
- Palm Beach County School District Police Department (Officers Teresa Haag and Corey Piazza) Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Michelle Bradford)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Cortland Jones)
- Palm Beach Police Department (Sgt. Craig Newby)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Officers Yanko Abreu, Cassandra Bogaert, Jeremy Boykins, Nelson Caceres, Darrnell Campbell, Willy Louis, Charles Lyndon, Albert McCarthy, Gregory McDonald, Hector Perdigon, Austin Danielovich, Noucheka Pierre and Hannah Skotzke and Sgt. Ismael Flores)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
WATCH THEIR STORY:
Martin County deputies had almost given up when they tried once more to rescue man from burning boat
Civilian of the Year
- Boca Raton Police Services Department (Forensic Services Manager Kristen Archuleta)
- Boynton Beach Police Department (Crime Analyst Jan Clark)
- Delray Beach Police Department (Accreditation Manager Dawn English)
- Jupiter Police Department (Community Service Officer James Rothgeb)
- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (Intoxilyzer Technician Paris Pound)
- Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (Administrative Operations Coordinator Alana Ramai)
- Riviera Beach Police Department (Ben Sheehan)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Classification Specialist Meghann Fego and Judicial Specialist Kimberly Oakley)
- West Palm Beach Police Department (Code Officer Paula McFarlane)
Tom Anderson/WPTV
Valor
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office (Lt. James Dixon, Sgt. Ryan Eggers and Sgt. Christopher Lester; Deputies Shane Joerger, Timothy Miller, Brian Nunley, Kevin Peach and Jason Pollacek)
- St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (Deputy Cody Colangelo)